Reaching and Growing Disciples 4 - The Nations.

I. Introduction

A. We find ourselves on that mount again in Galilee with the resurrected Lord. The words of his mission penetrating our hearts again with passion and purpose. We exist to glorify God by making disciples! Reaching them where they’re at and growing them in Christ’s character.

B. Matthew 28:18-20

C. Nations - “ethnos” - it’s where we get the word ethnicity. Growing up I thought this meant supporting foreign missionaries in the geographic countries. This verse has less to do with literal geography and more to do with cultural diversity.

The word is translated “Gentile” more than “nations.” It has to do with all that don’t share the religious and cultural heritage of the Jews.

This was the first time they heard specifically to go the the Gentiles with the good news of the Kingdom. Both times Jesus sent them out before he sent them only to the lost sheep of Israel. This was an earth shaking, paradigm shifting moment for them.

Acts 1:8 is the first to speak of geography and it speaks of growing circles of making disciples of all ethnicities in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and then the ends of the earth. It all starts with making disciples of all cultural ethnic groups within our own city. Black, White, Hispanic.

II. The Nations - Ethnic Diversity is God’s idea

A. The nations divided but a promise given. An ancient story

How did we get the different nations or ethnicities, cultures, languages? Tower of Babel.

Genesis 11:8 (NIV) 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. (divided the nations with boundaries but for one he would personally oversee, Deuteronomy 32) - Immediately in scripture God finds Abraham to build an ethnic group with a promise:

Genesis 12:3 (NIV) 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Paul interprets this promise of blessing:

Galatians 3:8 (NIV) 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 

Since the moment he divided the ethnicities, God’s promised plan was to bring them back together under Christ. So the story continues…

B. The nations reunited. A first century fulfillment

Acts 2:5–6 (NIV) 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.” - This is an undoing of the tower of Babel. Through Christ we can come together to build again, hopefully to build His kingdom instead of ours!

The entire rest of the NT is the Jew / Gentile community with all it’s struggles but with a clear indication it was the will of God. The had the problems because they literally worshiped and lived life together instead of in segregated churches.

Instead of separating the Jews/Gentile cultures into two churches for ease, the NT emphatically calls them to work out their diversity in unity. Messy hard work that we don’t get out of because it’s the will of God at work for thousands of years.

Galatians 3:26–29 (NIV) - 26 “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” This is not saying there is no differences but all those differences have equal access to the Father as children.

C. The nations gathered and healed. An eternal reality

Matthew 25:31–32 (NIV) 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Notice they are not separated by ethnic differences but rather if they truly knew and served Jesus.

Revelation 5:9 (NIV) 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” This is the reason he died, to redeem a new humanity together.

Revelation 7:9 (NIV) 9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” This is what heaven looks like. And if we are taught to pray His kingdom come his will be done on earth as it is in heaven, how can ethnic diversity not be part of the church?

Revelation 22:2 (NIV) 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” As I have started to spend time and listen to both side of ethnic hostility I have learned the depth of hurt and misunderstanding is vast. Only one source of life can heal the divide.

D. Why do churches struggle with ethnic diversity?

1). Comfort over Commission - If you read the letters of the NT the struggle of cultures coming together is the back drop of every word. There is no way we can keep our comfort and be obedient the commission to make disciples of all ethnicities.

2). Control over Commission - The more folks get uncomfortable with cultural expansion the more they will want to control to get back their comfort. We are not in control, the church belongs to Jesus.

We have the opportunity to fulfill the commission, to worship together in a cultural diverse way as we make disciples of all cultures. Anything less, is less than the commission of Christ.

The thing that you want to pay attention to with Jesus is not when he agrees with you but when he stands against you..This is where you decide if He is Lord or not. This is Jesus’ church, his will be done, all ethnicities.

Practical Step - Eat a meal with someone from another ethnicity and ask them so share their story of growing up in their culture.

III. Invitation - Sam Roberson